Jizzie | Hand on Heart

Chapter 25 | Find me?

Joel's POV

I follow Oli into the hotel, dumping my bag on the table and sitting atop of the bed.

"I'm tired as hell." Oli sigh, before divebombing head first onto the bed next to me.

I laugh nodding my head.

The flight had been long, as had the drive, and I'd had a lot of time to think about this.

Was this a mistake?

Why am I even here?

No. I cap my thoughts.

I drove Lizzie away, so now it's my job to help her see that's she not alone.

We roughly know where she's gone from what Oli got out of Jessie, so we know that she's gone back to her old house.

Is that where she's living now?

I go to bed with the same thoughts whizzing around my mind, and by the time I wake up I still have no conclusive plan.

After a quick breakfast, we're on the road again, driving to her old neighbourhood.

When we pull up outside the address I managed to get out of Sapphire, I don't see a car, however the door is open.

Oli doesn't say a word as I dash inside, but the look of uneasiness on his face says enough.

Taking no care whatsoever for what I may be walking into, I barrel into the house, eyes rapidly scanning the rooms.

"Lizzie!" I yell.

"Dude people might live here you can't just walk in." Oli whisper yells, trying to drag me out.

"Lizzie!" I yell again.

"Seriously dude, I-"

I shush him as I hear a creak upstairs.

"This house is haunted oh my god." Oli starts freaking out, clutching his panda hat in his hand.

I don't say anything, slowly edging towards the staircase in the direction of the sound.

"Have you never seen a horror movie?! You don't move in the direction of the sound." Oli hisses, trying to stop me.

I wave my hand for him to be quiet and start walking up the stairs.

Placing my foot on the landing I look around st the various rooms, all doors shut.

Then the end door starts to open, Oli is behind me now, his tight grip on my arm cutting off the circulation.

My body reacts before I can, visibly sagging as a man walks out of the room, not Lizzie.

"Hello?" The man says, gesturing to both of us in questioning.

"I'm so sorry for intruding on your house sir, I was just looking for," I falter, "a friend."

It hurts to just say it.

"It's not my house." The man closes the door, "and if you mean the girl with pink hair and her friend, they've already left."

I can't answer as my phone starts ringing.

"Hayley what's up?" I answer the phone, pushing Oli forwards to talk to the man.

"Found anything yet?" She asks.

"No, nothing." I sigh, "this was stupid."

"Yes of course, so stupid, it was all pointless and you should never have done it, you're better off giving up as you'll never find her."

"Really?"

"No of course not, Jesus stop being such a baby and move your arse."

"Very polite." I roll my eyes.

"Well you are being a baby." Hayley snips back

I hear talking off the phone.

"I told you he'd be a shit detective." Hayley's boasts.

"What are you in about."

The line clears, "I bet Thea that you would chase your tail for three weeks before you found her."

"And I bet that you'd get lost before you even left the UK"

"Thea ***** show some respect for your older brother." I scold down the phone.

All of a sudden, the movement in front of me stops, and voice are cut.

I look up in confusion, and see Oli staring at the man in confusion, who is now rigid and tense, say staring at me intently, "say that name again"

"What?" I respond in confusion.

"Say that name again"

"My sister's? Thea? I am really confused right now."

"Me too." Oli chides.

"Thea do you know this man."

"What man you idiot I can't see nor do I know what is happening."

"My name is Carlisle Dray."

The line goes deadly silent, neither of them make a sound or move.

"Can someone please explain what's going on" I shout exasperatedly.

"I'm sorry Joel. I have to go." The line clicks dead as she hangs up, leaving me dumbstruck as to what just happened.

Snapping out of my stupor, I put my phone in my pocket and march to where this Carlisle was standing, "how do you know my sisters." I try to lower my voice to sound more menacing.

Carlisle drops eye contact, "I don't know your sister, calm down, at least not properly."

"Then why did she sound so freaked."

"I may not know her, but our paths have crossed."

I repeat my question, frustrated by lack of answers.

Oli makes eye contact with me, looking as uneasy as I felt.

This whole situation makes no sense, how would this twenty something man know my sister, she was in a coma for the last few years, none of this makes sense.

I repeat it to myself, trying to understand what was happening.

"Let's go downstairs, I think you're going to want to be seated when I tell you this." He makes no attempt to wait for my response, walking down the stairs.

"This feels like some kind of setup." Oli whispers, "none of this feels normal."

"It hasn't been normal since I found out." I start walking down the stairs, leaving Oli to follow.

"Answers." I say, sitting at the table opposite Carlisle.

"I have never spoken to your sister, but-" he trails off.

"But what."

"But what she's told you has been a lie."

"What on earth are you talking about." I say flatly.

"Your sister was never in a trampolining accident as you may have been lead to believe." He stops again.

"WHAT WHAT IS IT" I yell, frustrated.

"The reason your sister was in that coma. Was because of me."